human gut metagenome Metagenome

The intestinal flora community structures and functions in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) vary, and the relationship and mechanism of action between intestinal flora, fecal metabolites, and clinical characteristics remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of the intestinal flora of patients with PCOS and analyze the changes in the intestinal flora and fecal metabolites in patients with normal-weight PCOS, providing insights into PCOS pathogenesis. We used 16S sequencing, metagenomics, and metabolomics to analyze specific changes in the intestinal flora and fecal metabolome of patients with PCOS. We re-analyzed our previous data on normal-weight women with PCOS (PCOS = 24; Healthy Control [HC] = 12) and the public database (PCOS = 98; HC = 71) to further investigate the structure and function of the PCOS intestinal flora. Subsequently, fecal samples from the normal-weight PCOS group (n = 6) and the HC group (n = 4) were analyzed using metagenomic sequencing and non-targeted fecal metabolomics. Finally, the correlation between intestinal flora, fecal metabolites, and clinical indicators was analyzed.